The benefits of hearing aids are far reaching, from improving relationships at home, at work, improving the ability to stay mobile active, happy and healthy. However, like any technology they need to be functioning to the best ability to provide the best care.
Hearing aids don’t last indefinitely and it’s important to know when it’s time to switch to a newer pair. This way you can continue to benefit from what these devices have to offer. There are many cleaning and maintenance routines you can do to make sure your hearing aids have the longest life possible but eventually it will be time to replace them.
Here are a few clues that can help you to know when it’s time for a new pair of hearing aids.
Your health or hearing has changed
Just as our eyeglasses prescription changes with time, so too does our hearing. While hearing aids can help you hear, they cannot stop your decline in hearing. While hearing aids can be adjusted as your hearing changes there may come a point where your current devices are just not powerful enough to provide the hearing help you need to succeed in the listening environments you frequent.
As health complications develop your current hearing aids may not be as accessible to you as they once were. For instance arthritis in the hands, which is common as we age, can make a smaller hearing aid difficult to maneuver. For those of you who have been accustomed to changing your hearing aid batteries every three days or less may find it easier to use rechargeable batteries instead that can be charged overnight while you sleep.
Your hearing aids 5 years old or more
The average hearing aid has a lifespan of 3-7 years, most averaging around 5 years. While this may seem like a short time, consider the amount of wear that these tiny devices endure day after day, being worn everywhere you go from the morning till the time you go to sleep. The more you tend to a regular routine of cleaning and drying your hearing aids the longer they will last but even the most diligent cleaning routine can’t keep your hearing aids working forever. Earwax and moisture from years of wear eventually catch up.
Your hearing aids have become outdated
Hearing aids continue to make huge strides in technology, allowing people to hear more clearly with greater ease. Eventually your old hearing aids just won’t be able to offer you as much as the newer technology, which will make hearing more and more effortless. Newer hearing aids can minimize background noise, connect to Bluetooth wirelessly, interact or be controlled via Smartphone and provide tinnitus-masking features. Today many hearing aids offer adaptive intelligence which automatically switches listening programs depending on your listening environment, making hearing with hearing aids easier than ever before.
Your lifestyle has changed
Hearing aids don’t just improve your hearing ability but your quality of life. If you were limiting your activity before you started using hearing aids because it was difficult to stay social and active and hearing aids have changed that then it is time to review your lifestyle and see if your current hearing aids are still serving you.
For instance some hearing aids are designed to suppress wind and are water resistant. If you previously spent more time inside and now you are jogging or boating regularly due to clearer hearing, then you may want to invest in hearing aids with these features, to enhance your active lifestyle.
If you are now more social, then you may want to try hearing aids that limit background noise and can better focus on a speaker in a quiet room. On the other hand, if you don’t get out as much as you used to, a more basic model may work just fine for your needs and your budget.
You’ve fallen in love with your life with hearing aids
It takes people seven years on average from the time they know they have a hearing condition to start using hearing aids. However once you realize the benefits of life with hearing aids you may want to invest in a pair that can suit you best.
To find out what options are available to you, reach out today for a hearing exam and to explore your options. With the added mobility and quality of life that these devices offer, don’t put off finding out what a new set of hearing aids can offer today!